


Pranking David

by 0scarthegr0uch



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Cinnamon rolls, Cute, How Do I Tag, I'm Bad At Tagging, Pranks, Sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-06-28 13:58:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19813735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0scarthegr0uch/pseuds/0scarthegr0uch
Summary: Max, Nikki and Neil plot to prank David in the middle of the night by covering the cabin in mud. All Max needs to do is go inside the counsellor's cabin, convince David he had a nightmare and wait for the counsellors to fall asleep.But will he succeed?This is basically fluff between our two precious boys, originally uploaded on Wattpad a few months ago but it was heavily edited (and I means HEAVILY edited. Like half the story changed.)Excuse my spelling. I'm Australian so the spelling might be a little different with words such as "favourite", "realise", "colour" or "mum" ect.





	Pranking David

"Okay guys," Max declared in a confident whisper. "Tonight we're gonna have our revenge."

The little boy rubbed his hands mischievously as he fought the urge to yawn. The trio sat cross legged in Max and Neil's tent, Max on his own bed and Nikki and Neil on sharing Neil's bed. Empty lolly wrappers were littered across the floor but could barely be seen because of the dark tent, a show of victory from a plan they carried out the night before. The three didn't dare turn on a torch since that was how they were caught last time. The only sounds that could be heard outside was the soft chirps of cicadas and crickets along with the summer breeze against the tents. 

The children's sugar-filled brains had come up with their "revenge' plan for David a mere few minutes ago. Max would have admitted that it wasn't his finest idea but he would have chalked it up to his sleep-deprived state of mind and the sugar coursing through his blood. Neil had even said to him that the plan wasn't very likely to work but Max was determined to make David pay for all the shit he put him through that day. 

The bastard wouldn't leave him alone, would drag him to every torturous activity where he knew there was no escape and, worst of all, he called something Max did "adorable ". Fucking adorable! He wasn't fucking adorable and no one could tell him otherwise. It may not have been directed to him entirely but the whole thing reeked of a personal attack. It was a condescending reminder that David was the one with authority and that Max had to stay at a God-forsaken camp because he wasn't adult enough to get away from his parents himself. Adorable his ass! 

"Yeah! Revenge!" Nikki exclaimed. 

Max and Neil both hastily shushed her, aware that the walls of their tent weren't soundproof. Any camper could have walked out at any moment and overheard Nikki, finding out what they were doing and ruining the whole plan.

"So you're planning on going into the counsellor's cabin and saying you had a nightmare, getting David to let you sleep there and then, when he and Gwen fall asleep, cover their cabin in mud?" Neil asked in a disapproving tone. "I keep telling you, it's not gonna work. You really think David's gonna stay asleep through a cabin raid or for you, a ten year old, to stay awake longer than David who I'm pretty sure never sleeps."

"But the bastard's gonna wake up to all his prized possessions covered in mud and I know I won't fall asleep. You underestimate my will Neil," Max answered cockily. 

Neil was always questioning his ideas and was saying that they wouldn't work. That night was no different but Neil might have had a point. Even then in the tent, Max felt his body get heavier as the sugar high he was on was starting to wear off. He didn't necessarily have a good night's sleep the night before either. But Max had a will that was stronger than a simple bad night's sleep. What was David going to do anyway? Tell a bedtime story?

He pointed to Neil's silhouette in the dark room. "What time is it?" He demanded.

"12:30," Neil replied, "but just look at Nikki!"

Max squinted his eyes in the dark room to try and get a glimpse of Nikki. He could barely see her shadow lying down on Neil's bed and she wasn't saying a word. It was no surprise that she was crashing since she did eat the most candy and was practically bouncing off the walls before. It was amazing how much energy she could use without burning out. 

"Makes sense. She has to get her energy from somewhere," Max commented.

Neil gently shook her with both hands, sighing. "Come on Nikki. Max needs you to wake up."

Max rolled his eyes and folded his arms in annoyance. Of course Neil would resort to guilt tripping. He had so little faith in Max that he was trying to put him off the plan by practically saying that he was being a terrible friend to Nikki! It wasn't going to work on him. Max was the manipulator who was supposed to have Neil wrapped around his little finger, not the other way around. A part of Max felt a bit sorry for Nikki but he knew that she would have loved the thrill of throwing mud around more than a good night's sleep. 

Nikki stirred and sat up, yawning tiredly. 

"Come on Max," Neil whined. "None of your plans work!"

"Yeah," Nikki chimed in, "and I'm tired. Can't we do this tomorrow?"

That was it! If they didn't think he was capable of pulling a little prank on his camp counsellor then he didn't have to wait for them. Max could've pulled off the prank by himself if he wanted and they didn't have to join! He didn't need them!

"It'll fucking work this time! Just- ah. I'll go out then you guys wait outside!" The boy snapped. Max hopped off the bed angrily. "Or don't! I don't need you guys!" 

Max stormed off the the counsellor's cabin where he knew the son of a bitch was still awake. His hands were tightly curled up into fists as he gritted his teeth tightly, his breaths heavy with rage. Sure, maybe he was overreacting a little bit but they were ditching him. Fine, whatever. It wasn't like he cared if his friends didn't believe in him because he knew that it was going to work. 

He could already taste the fun of putting mud everywhere and the pride of proving his friends wrong. Max was preparing for the thrill of digging through more of David's personal items while he had no idea about what he was doing. The thought made his steps lighter and the scowl turn into a smirk. He almost let out a childish laugh. 

Becoming aware of his obvious smile, purposely slowed down his pace once he reached the cabin. David would never believe that he had a nightmare if Max was smirking like the evil genius he clearly was, especially with his record of bad behaviour at camp. He stood outside the door for about a minute trying to make the perfect innocent face. His eyes needed to be wide with fear, he needed to wear a scared frown, his eyebrows needed to be slightly furrowed with concern. While he was at it, he forced out a couple tears to make it look more realistic. All he needed to really do was think about his parents. 

He lightly knocked on the door three times and waited "timidly". He fumbled his hands around, trying to get into his "nervous" character. David would never see it coming. 

When the door opened, a tall man in pine tree pyjamas was looking around outside, tired concern pulling at his face. His face relaxed into a soft beam when he saw the hell raiser at the doorstep, "frightened" like a "small puppy." Max made sure to look up at him while keeping his eyes wide and begging. He should've grabbed Mr Honeynuts to make it more realistic. 

"Aww Max,"cooed David. "What's wrong buddy?"

Max shifted and looked down in "shame" when in reality he was just trying to hide his smirk of victory. 

"I had a nightmare," the boy mumbled.

"And you can't go back to sleep?" He asked the demon.

Max nodded, not daring to meet David's gaze in case he laughed. Step one was already complete. 

The man lead him inside the cabin that was dimly lit by a lamp next to Gwen's bed. The co-counsellor was in her white dressing gown with a green mask covering most of her face, reading a magazine that was probably about butts. She didn't even look at the boy or acknowledge his presence in the slightest.

"Guess who had a little nightmare, Gwen," David said softly.

The patronising voice the man used made Max want to strangle him where he stood. First he implied that Max was adorable! Then he implied he was like a fucking baby with his voice! That was it! Max was fucking determined to make David's morning a living hell with a muddy cabin and to find his dairy and reading everything, giving him at least some blackmail. He kicked David in the shin, which didn't phase the man, out of instinct.

Gwen looked up from her magazine nonchalantly. Max glanced down at the floor again once their eyes met. He had to stop himself from smirking again. He had come so far. Laughter boomed out of the woman's mouth as a magazine made a thud on the floor. 

"You had a nightmare?! This is just too good! A-and you're asking David for help!?" She burst into another fit of laughter and kicked her legs on her bed like a child.

Max sighed and wondered if it was even worth pranking his least favourite people in the world. He was already getting humiliated for having a nightmare he didn't even have so what was the chance that Gwen was going to blackmail him in the future? He reminded himself that they would find out about the act in the morning. In the morning he could tell them everything, rub it in their faces, make them pay. His pride would only be destroyed if he failed and he wasn't going to fail. 

"Gwen! Max is our camper and he's still only ten!" David scolded. "We both had nightmares at ten years old so what's wrong with him having some?"

"But he came in for his favouwite counsewwor to comfwort him," Gwen mocked. 

That bitch was going to pay. Max couldn't hurt her or he would definitely get sent out, he could only abuse David. Gwen was a tough nut to crack so violence wouldn't make her stop. It would just show her that she was getting to him but not in a way that was actually hurting him, that he was annoyed. What would younger Max have done if he really had a nightmare? He probably have been really ashamed of himself and upset of the betrayal of his camp counsellors. Gwen was either making fun of him for real or testing whether it was fake or not. She had started to catch onto his schemes and he had to admit that his lying could use a bit of work and some people were catching on to how he lied.

When a person is ashamed, betrayed, upset they cry like a little bitch, like David. It was his only shot to prove to Gwen that he wasn't faking was to cry like the little kid Gwen was acting like. Luckily for him, he was exhausted, only cried in front of the counsellors once and cried often about the same things alone in his tent. His parents never cared for him. From the minute he was born, it was made known to him that he was a mistake. His grades were never good enough for them, no matter how hard he tried. Was it even worth trying anymore?

Max only let people down, was a constant disappointment to everyone he met, including the campers and counsellors. They all secretly hated him and he knew it. He always tried convincing himself that he was fine with it, building his entire identity at camp on that aspect. Wait, what? He liked how people hated him! He was supposed to be a terrible person! Every day was supposed to drag on for him like a prison sentence because he was the scum of the earth. Why did that always come up in his spiral of bad thoughts? He was a piece of shit that only deserved to die and everyone knew it. No one liked him and his friends were only pretending because they felt sorry for him. 

Max was snapped out of his thoughts when a hand touched his shoulder. Only then did he notice the tightness in his throat and his watery eyes, leaking its liquid down his face and down to his chin. He was actually crying. Gwen's laughter had died down. Max could feel her eyes comforting him yet judging him for the child he was. He was a child, a needy and stupid child who made a plan that only screwed over his counsellors over seemingly nothing. He was such as asshole. 

"Never mind," he muttered. "I'll just go."

Max turned towards the door, ready to abort his mission. Without warning, David scooped the boy up and held him in his arms and held him like a teddy bear. He knew it was childish but Max really wanted Mr Honeynuts. His head was resting against David's chest as he heard the counsellor's soft heartbeat. The man was rubbing circles into Max's back as the boy sniffed up the gross snot running out of his nose. He was bouncing Max like a baby, which was degrading but still relaxing in a way. 

"I know nightmares can be pretty scary at your age," David explained in a whisper. "My younger brother used to get them all the time at your age and would always come to me. He even had really bad nightmares at thirteen so there's nothing to be embarrassed about. Wanna sleep here for the night?"

Max nodded, making note that another aspect of his plan could be completed. But was it worth it? David was taking the time out of his night to take care of the boy while Max was just going to shit all over his trust. Nikki and Neil would have fun trashing the cabin but they were probably not even coming. 

David sat down on the bed and placed Max in his lap, still holding him like a small child. His body gave off more warmth than Mr Honeynuts, which Max didn't think was possible. His counsellor was inviting, as if he wanted Max to stay. The boy actually felt like someone cared about him, actually wanted him there, wanted him to feel better. Max listened to his body that was starved for comfort, pulling against David. He knew that he was too hold to have cuddles and that he was acting like a baby but the hand stroking his hair was just lulling him further into the cosiness. 

"Hey David," Gwen butted in, "Max isn't your brother. You can't hold him like that."

"Come on, Gwen," David uttered, "he just had a nightmare."

He snuggled into David's soft pyjama shirt. The scent of pine gave him a sense of security like a serene forest full of flowers and small, cute creatures that existed in the world of fairy tales.

"Gwen could you get the spare mattress and two blankets?" Asked David in his usual, kind, stupid voice.

He heard Gwen force herself to get up with a groan. The door closed quietly once she left, leaving Max alone with his counsellor. 

"Are you okay buddy?" David asked. 

"Yeah," Max mumbled. 

He shifted slightly in the man's lap to get more comfortable. His head was no longer resting on David's chest and could look up at the man. He was still wearing that idiotic, understanding smile yet it somehow made him feel more at ease. It didn't seem fake or antagonising at all. It was kind and warm and reminded him of pizza. Yet again, since that whole Parents Day thing, David what what he associated with pizza. He didn't know why, but pizza wasn't completely ruined for him and he liked it even more. What the fuck?

"Now what was this nightmare about?"

Oh right, he had to think of a nightmare. Was it even worth continuing to lie? Maybe it was since he couldn't let David know too much and it would open the doors to continue the prank if he didn't know about it. Something didn't sit right with continuing the prank since David was taking care of him. It wasn't all bad to have one person who could actually tolerate him besides everything. 

"Well, I was in the woods," he started, guiltiness poking at his conscience. "And there was a monster chasing after me, holding a knife." He yawned. "I dunno. The monster just kept chasing me and I just kept running away. No matter where I hid, the monsters would always find me. I don't remember much else but it was pretty scary."

The man chuckled lightly. "Aw it's okay. It sounds scary."

Something told Max that David didn't entirely believe him but his body that was giving into exhaustion didn't allow him to care all that much. 

"Fuck, this is embarrassing," Max complained.

"No it isn't," David laughed. "It's perfectly normal."

Max yawned for the second time that night. His droopy eyes were having trouble focusing on David's face. He didn't want to fall asleep in such an embarrassing way but he was just so comfortable. 

Gwen then came back in with two blankets. She set them all on the floor next to the two boys before pulling a mattress out from under her bed. They must have had more campers that have had nightmares and slept in their cabin. Poor suckers. Max wouldn't have been surprised if Spacekid had slept in their cabin before because of nightmares about space monsters or some shit. 

"Could you help me wrap a blanket around him Gwen?" David whispered. 

Max immediately shot up on the bed, trying to prove that he wasn't tired. He was babied enough! He didn't need to be embarrassed even more than he already was! His body really wanted to lay him back down but he was determined not to be degraded even more! 

"No I can do it," Max said hastily. 

He snatched the blanket off of Gwen and wrapped it around himself. He put his shoes off while he was at it since they weren't the most comfortable to sleep in. He sat back down in a blanket cocoon stubbornly as he folded his arms. Gwen eyed him, looking slightly annoyed. Max ignored her and snuggled into the blankets, wanting to lay down. She sighed and went back to reading her magazine. 

David was tapping his phone, ignoring Max. A part of him felt slightly confused since he didn't really know what to do. It had been less than ten minutes and David had already gotten sick of him. Max didn't have the energy to think about it though, his body melting into the fluffy blanket. A moment later he heard soft piano music coming from a small speaker on the desk. It was nice and all but it made things a bit awkward. 

Max unconsciously welcomed David when he sat next to him once again. Max was scooped up and put into David's lap again. It wasn't as comforting at last time since he wasn't crying anymore. Max leaned into David when he felt his hair being stroked. A few weeks ago, he would have never thought that David could not be overly enthusiastic for a second. The soothing nature of the counsellor came as a bit of a surprise but it was welcomed. 

"Here's a story I used to tell my little brother when he had nightmares," the then tolerable counsellor started calmly.

Shit, not one of his stories again. He internally kicked himself for even thinking for a second that David could be tolerable for at least a second. Max couldn't be bothered rolling his eyes at the man for some reason so he just stared. 

"Okay, so Jasper and I used to be great friends right?"

Max nodded his head slowly, his energy fading out already.

"So one day Mr Campbell sent us on a mission to search for..."

Max didn't have any choice but to listen to the story. How David presented the story wasn't like how he told them before. At campfires and car rides he would use an engaging tone with grand hand gestures to keep everyone on edge. Usually the story would be boring or mundane but David somehow managed to keep his energy high enough to keep people listening. David completely subverted Max's expectations when he droned on with a boring voice with little to no expression like a science teacher he once had. David's words faded in and out of his mind as the boy listened to the peaceful music. It was almost like a waltz or a dance, maybe even a lullaby. 

The whole room had an aura of peace and warmth he hadn't felt in a while. It wasn't like his home that reeked with loneliness, devoid of the care that he didn't know he craved. It wasn't like the tent with Neil who could be such a little bitch sometimes, where he always felt like he was being judged. Being in a blanket cocoon with someone who would protect him made him feel safe. His chest felt fuzzy and light, like it did when he hugged Mr Honeynuts. David always made him feel warm, safe, comfortable. David always made him feel nice, like he actually offered something to someone. David made his eyes droopy, made him feel... tired.

"... and I said to him that we better take a rope because we always..."

The man kept his story going, seemingly not caring if the boy was listening or not. Max couldn't be bothered listening but he liked David's calm voice. It was like what David was saying was going through one ear and out the other. He just wasn't listening and didn't have the energy to listen. His story was too boring and his voice was a bit too soft without any edge to it. 

Max forced his heavy head upright as it started to loll back. His eyes fluttered open, not remembering when they closed. When did he even start nodding off?  
He heard a small laugh come from the man once his head was forced up.

"- and then Jasper used his LA Gear light up shoes to light up the Quartermaster's store."

Max didn't know what had just happened. He had one of two options; go with the plan or submit to the calling of sleep. He didn't want to betray David's trust but he also didn't want to be babied. He could be victorious and prove his friends wrong, they could continue pulling pranks. But David trusted peaceful campers who didn't cover his cabin in mud. Maybe it was worth not bringing him down constantly, pushing him away, hurting him. 

His eyes drooped some more. A little droopiness wouldn't hurt, especially when eyelids can be so heavy. David's hand stroked Max's head, almost massaging it. The action alone was enough to pacify the boy even further. When his eyelids got too low, he forced them open, only for them to get lower and lower again. His eyelids almost covered the view of David.

"Tired buddy?" David asked, almost laughing.

Max forced his eyes open once again fully open to look David in his. David's wide, open eyes. How could he do that? His face felt really relaxed, his mouth even hanging open slightly. The boy didn't have the energy to scold himself for making what must've been a really dumb face.

A soothing voice started to hum to the tune of the piano. Once again, David surprised him. He would have never guessed David could have sung in a voice that wasn't cheerful or overly enthusiastic. It was sweet and tender, almost like a mother. The voice seemed so distant as well but inviting, pulling his head down. 

"Max?" David breathed. 

Max hummed in response. 

He lifted up his eyebrows, forcing his eyelids up. He raised his head to see his camp counsellor. A gentle hand rubbed Max's forehead, soothing his eyebrows into loosening.   
His heavy head was slowly lolling backwards, fighting his neck that was trying to keep his head up. His curls weren't softly being played with anymore but his head was being held up. It was soft like a pillow. The pillow moved his head to David's chest.

"Good night Max," David whispered. 

He felt his limp arm being lifted carefully then being put down on top of a fluffy, small, familiar bear. Max didn't even bother muttering a reply. He only half heard the man anyway. 

Max didn't remember when he started faintly snoring against David's chest. He didn't remember when David lifted him up, making him drop Mr Honeynuts on the floor. He didn't recall getting tucked into the makeshift bed on the floor. He wasn't awake to appreciate how soft the mattress was compared to his cot. He didn't feel the warmth of Mr Honeynuts when he was tucked in next to him. He was a long way away, lulled into a tranquil darkness where he floated peacefully in dreams. 

He did, however, recall the same hand that pulled him into sleep shaking him out of it. 

"Max," a voice called. 

His heavy body was enjoying the comfort of the mattress below him. His eyes barely registered the light shining through his eyelids. 

"Time to get up."

Someone was shaking his shoulder again, causing his whole body to move. Max was sprawled out like a starfish with his mouth hanging open like an imbecile. A runny liquid was running down from his mouth to the side of his face. It took him a moment to realise it was drool. Holy shit that was embarrassing. 

"Come on buddy. We have another big day ahead."

That was when he recognised the voice. David. Did that fucking idiot think that Max would actually follow his instructions? Ha! He may have been a passive baby the night before but there was no way he was ever going to get him up to do stupid activities! Nothing in the world could get him u-

"I brought coffee," said David.

Max managed to crack his eyes open and saw the man smiling above him. David's head was blocking out the sunlight from the window, leaving light to glow around him like an angel. He was annoying enough to be as good as an angel. He could smell the strong scent of his coffee calling him. Hopefully David made it the way he liked it. The boy wiped the drool off his face with his sweater sleeve, slightly grossed out. 

"Black?" The boy muttered, wanting to close his eyes again. He furrowed his eyebrows, his mind being too hazy to figure out when he actually fell asleep. 

"Yep. Get up if you want it."

Damn, a rock and a hard place. Max slowly sat up on the mattress and rested his back against the wall. He stretched before David carefully handed him the cup of coffee. The cup was warm against his small fingers. He took a sip, welcoming the caffeinated drink into his body. If he was going to deal with David calling him adorable for another day he would have needed it. The coffee wasn't so hot that it burned his tongue yet wasn't too cold to not actually feel like coffee. David sat next to the boy, wearing a smirk. 

"You know Kenny, my brother, used to come into my room so he could prank me as well," David explained.

Max almost spat out his coffee in shock. Holy shit, he forgot about that! What were Nikki and Neil doing? They probably ditched him but it was for the best. He swallowed his coffee calmly. It didn't matter anyway. At the end of the day, he decided he didn't want to do it. He let himself sleep. 

"He would say he had a nightmare then pretend to be asleep and prank me when I went to bed." David stared off into the distance fondly. "The trouble was, after the first time, no other times worked."

David laughed softly to himself, seemingly lost in a memory. The idiot actually caught onto him for once. Since when did that start happening? Max made a mental note that he needed to up his game with the not-so-idiotic counsellor.

"How long did it take to find out Camp Man?" Asked Max.

"From the moment you said you had a nightmare," the man laughed. "How dense do you think I am?"

"Pretty dense," Max muttered.

David playfully rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "If it's any consolation, you were harder than Kenny to put to sleep. I never resorted to humming with him. I didn't think it would work on you at all. Have you been staying up late?"

"Yeah, we've been having late nights," admitted Max. There was a slight pause before Max decided to admit, "I quit the plan half way through. I felt guilty."

"I know. You would've stayed awake had you been more determined. Does 'we' mean Nikki and Neil?"

Max nodded. Damn, he could read Max like a book. Come to think of it, David wasn't as oblivious anymore and actually questioned people and their intentions. Max was also becoming more easily manipulated, like a fucking dumbass, or maybe softer. He hated it but Nikki was right, he and David were rubbing off on each other for better or for worse. 

The two sat in silence as Max drank more of his coffee.

"I can't help but thank you for it," David sighed.

"Huh?"

That statement completely caught Max off guard. It didn't make sense, but David barely ever made sense. 

"It was a nice reminder of what he was like when he was younger. We kind of stopped contact because he went to work in Chicago and we've just been too busy. He's some big shot now and, well, I miss talking to him. I called him earlier this morning and we had a good talk. I'm going to use one of my vacation days to see him next week."

Max tried to ignore the warm feeling spreading through his body. He blamed it on the coffee. There was a sense of satisfaction knowing that something he did benefited the man, almost like organising the bonfire. He didn't give a shit about David's life or his personal information, but there was one burning question on his mind, something that he had always wondered about his friends at school. 

"Um David... what's it like having siblings?" Max asked timidly. 

He was so used to being the only child , constantly being ignored and having no one to play with at home. It made his life even lonelier and he hated it. He knew that David had siblings like how he knew his credit card number but he never knew about the experience. He chalked his curiosity and slight jealousy over aspects of David's childhood to his desire to find out more about the man and eventually murder him. Sleeping in the cabin, winning his trust at the bonfire and getting the camp back was all a part of that massive plan. He was just... waiting. 

David smiled and told Max all about what it was like having a family with a lot of kids. The man had one brother and one sister, both younger and apparently annoying. Max really didn't want to meet them if even David said that they were annoying. He also got to hear many funny stories about them and what they did.

**Author's Note:**

> I originally wrote this in my Oneshots book on Wattpad so that might explain why the quality isn't as good as other works on this site. Tired Max is a cinnamon roll and I just want to cuddle him to death. This actually took a lot longer than I thought to make/edit.
> 
> Please leave criticism in the comments. I really want to improve and I hope you guys enjoyed.


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